Cops think shooting people can be justified

Thursday , March 06, 2014 - 11:58 AM

Paul Sottosanti

Editor,

The letter of April 25, “Don’t second-guess police officers,” really upset me. The letter writer must be a cop or is married to one. All he is saying is the same old thing that “police are above the law, or “no one should stand up and question what police do.”

The policy of “I felt threatened” is not justified. It’s part of the job.

The writer stated, “When an officer is confronted with a weapon...” There was no weapon! The man was shot dead because he was waving his arms, as it was first reported.

The letter writer stated, “Someone has to see if there is a weapon and if so, the suspect has to be disarmed.” That’s very true, but this was not the case.

He continued, “They should put themselves in the officers shoes with little or no information and with a suspect making threats.”

As for “little and no information,” all we the public can do is comment on what was reported by the news people. If they were wrong, then all of us can rely on a one-sided story.

As for the excuses that the suspect was “making threats, or “...maybe is mentally unstable,” do not warrant being killed.

We the public are still waiting to hear hear whether this was justified. Of course, we all know it was because the man was “waving his arms at police.”

What happened to “equal force?” The statement, “I felt threatened” is a real cop out!